Lynn Haven has first marijuana dispensary reading

The ordinance zones dispensaries the same way as pharmacies. A second reading and possible vote will take place at the next council meeting.

COLLIN BREAUX News Herald Reporter @PCNHCollinB

LYNN HAVEN — The possibility of medical marijuana in Lynn Haven inched closer to actuality Tuesday, when the city commission held a first reading of an ordinance regulating dispensaries.

The commission decided at a Sept. 11 meeting to draft an ordinance allowing dispensaries, which like pharmacies would be allowed only in commercially zoned areas. A second reading and possible vote will take place at the next council meeting.

“We made our decision based on the voting record of precincts 18 and 19, which is Lynn Haven,” Mayor Margo Anderson said of November's constitutional amendment vote. “Both of those, one was over 65 percent and one was over 68 percent, in favor of allowing the dispensaries to locate here. Many of the commissioners made comments regarding family members or friends who could find relief through the use of medical marijuana.”

Anderson said no dispensaries have yet applied, but the commission wants to have rules in place before the need arises. If a dispensary does open, patients will have to have a doctor’s prescription to use medical marijuana, which generally will be prescribed for illnesses like Parkinson’s or cancer.

Despite most cities in Bay County leaning toward allowing dispensaries — the Callaway City Council on Tuesday approved its dispensary ordinance — the number allowed in the area will be limited. The allowance, though, means Bay County patients won't have to drive to Tallahassee or Pensacola, currently the nearest dispensaries.

Patrick Casey, a realtor who lives in Callaway, asked several questions about dispensaries during Tuesday's meeting, including where they’ll be allowed and who can open one.

“The state has licensed only a limited number [of dispensaries]," Anderson said. "The two largest are Knox, and the other is Trulieve.”

Discussions also revolved around the difference between state and federal law, under which marijuana is still an illegal Schedule I drug. Given the discrepancy, dispensaries might not be able to deposit money in some banks, Anderson said.

“It is a cash business. It’s not a taxable business,” she said. “There is great hope in the future the federal government will change it to a Schedule II drug so it would not be an illegal act for people who are terminally ill to use it for relief of pain and symptoms.”

Not everyone at the meeting was on board. Richard Walker, a Lynn Haven resident, said marijuana is not a legal drug and that the culture of Lynn Haven could change if dispensaries open.

“If you build it, they will come, they will use it," he said. "You cannot tell me what they’re going to do in the parking lot. Why is it cash? It’s cash because there’s no track record of it. ... What you’re laying is the groundwork for a drastic change.”

Anderson responded that dispensaries would not sell recreational marijuana.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, the commission:

• Held the first reading of an ordinance to restrict on-premise consumption of alcohol to restaurants and bars so they can match up with state statute.

• Approved the city budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The budget includes funding for golf cart crossings, converting old train rail systems to biking paths and new and more efficient technology for city government operations, according to City Manager Michael White.

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